tirsdag 12. juli 2016

Please speak!

NORSKI do not take any pulpit for granted, and I feel humble when someone gives me access to his or her pulpit. It is possible that Paul felt in the same way when the leaders of the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch came with this challenge:

“Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”Acts 13:15

Of course, Paul seized the opportunity. To be humble does not mean that he has to let go of a God-given chance to share his testimony about what he had received. His speech is unique with regard to the context it is preached in. I can learn a lot about preaching through analyzing this single speech alone. To start off, Paul builds a bridge to his audience by referring to what they have in common. It is of extreme importance that the preacher and the congregation are on the same planet. A common reference-frame is a prerequisite to understand the message.

Further, Paul uses his deep theological insight by pulling documentation from the Scriptures – and he relates what he is preaching to his personal experience: Why is it just I who proclaim this? Simply because “it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.” (Acts 13:26b)

The listeners want to hear more. Good, Spirit-filled preaching makes people want more – a fact I will return to tomorrow.